The closest art known to applicants is expressed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,489,367 to Kovacs, et al.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,508,720 and 3,578,260 to Kell; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,044 to Nilsson.
None of these pieces of art show or propose a saddle supporting the pendulum and pawl and the saddle suspended between the flanges of a retractor frame or chassis and wherein the saddle is a complete subassembly ready to be installed in the retractor frame.
Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is to provide a new and inventive pendulum and pawl support useful in seat belt retractors.
Another object is to provide a saddle structure in which the tolerances arising from the mounting of pawl and pendulum are delimited and so that upon mounting the pawl to retractor dimension is held to good manufacturing tolerance.
Another object is to provide a symmetrical saddle support supportable between the upstanding flanges of the retractor frame or chassis so that the pawl element tilts on an axis transverse of the frame to engage the ratchet flanges of the webbing spool or drum.
Still another object is to teach a simplified form of pendulum inertial sensor so that assembly of the structure is facilitated while providing omnidirectional sensing.
Other objects including improved economy and the marriage of plastic or resin in the saddle to steel in the frame will be increasingly appreciated as the description proceeds.
It will be appreciated that no reel locking stresses are felt by the saddle structure and the pawl carries the lock stresses into the frame.